When Nashville-based stand-up comic Ben Palmer heard that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had set up a hotline for people to snitch on suspected undocumented immigrants, he had the idea to start his own, fake phoneline. Palmer thought he might hear from the odd racist, but he soon had over 100 calls. Posting the exchanges on YouTube, his experiment has since gone viral, revealing how Stasi-style snitch lines inevitably invite the public to settle scores.
People called in to the fake tip line to report on their neighbours, random people at the grocery store and with particular enthusiasm – ex-partners or their new lovers. Why argue with your ex when you can disappear them into Trump’s detention camps?
